Letters: The Lobster Trap

While the historically low price for lobster is a boon to foodies, it is an abject disaster for Maine’s fishing families. The dock price for lobster is $2.50 a pound and was briefly below $2 in October.

Your local Manhattan grocer may fetch $10 a pound for Maine lobster, but the people who rise on these chilly mornings to tend their lobster traps are not so lucky. The current price cannot sustain the boats, bait, fuel and gear required to fish. Many lobstermen will just quit. We are losing an important part of our cultural heritage, and that is nothing to celebrate.